Unit of competency

Modification History

Release 1 - New unit of competency

Application

This unit of competency requires application of supervisory and personnel management skills in the performance of all aviation maintenance activities.

This is one of the units that must be attained to progress from Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) to the grant of a maintenance certification licence. It covers the competencies required to supervise maintenance activities, apply human resource management practices applicable at the supervisor level, and contribute to workplace training and competency assessment during scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. Work may be performed individually or as part of a team.

The skills and knowledge covered by the units of competency at Certificate IV level listed in the MEA Aeroskills Training Package for the qualification leading to the applicable maintenance certification licence sought are prerequisite to the attainment of the elements of competency specified in this unit. This includes full coverage of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulation (CASR) Part 66 Avionics or Mechanical Syllabus subjects/topics.

Pre-requisite Unit

Competency Field

Supervision of aviation maintenance

Unit Sector

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range of Conditions

Unit Mapping Information

Release 1 – equivalent to MEA113C Supervise civil aircraft maintenance activities and manage human resources in the workplace

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ce216c9c-04d5-4b3b-9bcf-4e81d0950371

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Release 1 - New unit of competency

Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria under the specified conditions of assessment, and must include:

• planning and implementing team maintenance activities
• application of all relevant WHS procedures
• observing human factors in team maintenance activities
• providing guidance to team members
• human resource management at team level
• using and compiling the Log of Industrial Experience and Achievement, including an understanding of:

• purpose of the Log
• its structure and content
• responsibility for making entries therein
• responsibility for the certification of entries

• explaining the role of CASR Part 147 MTOs in the training and competency assessment process, and of the role of supervisors in assisting workplace competency assessors.

It is essential that maintenance requirements are fully identified and that all applicable aspects of supervision, supervisor level human resource management and involvement in workplace training and competency assessment are identified and applied.

Knowledge Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

• applicable Commonwealth, state and territory WHS regulations, and enterprise WHS instructions
• the correct use of applicable items of PPE
• the requirement for Confined Space Entry Permits and related training
• applicable MSDS
• Air Transport Association (ATA) 113 Specification for Maintenance Human Factors Guidelines, and of the following human factor elements:

• general factors, including:

• weaknesses in task design and support
• motivation and attitudes, task demands and limitations in performance
• cooperative work, communication and leadership
• allocation of resources, workload, work conditions and double standards

• aspects relating to the task, including:

• physical and mental work
• features of the task which limit efficiency or safety performance, including constraints such as signing-off and shift changeover; time pressures, information sources, trouble shooting methods, tools and equipment
• task performance levels: skill-based, rule-based and knowledge-based; and the limitations encountered in each category
• complex and interrelated aircraft systems

• limitations of individual performance, including:

• the sources and effects of fatigue, detection and countermeasures
• vision and lighting
• hearing and noise
• memory - short and long term
• claustrophobia and acrophobia

• the influence of external factors, including:

• maintainability of aircraft
• guidance availability
• social environment
• physical environment, including the effects of extremes of heat and cold, and countermeasures (e.g. limited periods of exposure); noise and fumes; motion and vibration

• the causes of variability in human performance, including:

• effects of arousal
• limitations of perception
• limitations of memory, and management of these
• limitations of decision-making
• limitations of motor-functioning
• information processing

• factors that degrade performance, including:

• risk motivation
• individual differences (e.g. depth of training and experience)
• health
• alcohol and drugs

• errors in maintenance tasks, including:

• omissions, incorrect installation and wrong parts
• assumptions
• error management by minimisation, capture and tolerance

• human factors within groups, including:

• the distinction between groups and teams; coordination and synergy
• types of groups: horizontal (same level of personnel) and vertical (different functions)
• group characteristics; reducing overall task time; coordination
• team characteristics; performance exceeds sum of individual performances
• factors which lead to effective working in groups and teams: interaction, participation, open communication, clear expectations, shared leadership and self-assessment
• team building
• communication: the process and feedback

• organisational aspects, including:

• functions and dysfunctionality
• double standards: professionalism, procedures and time pressure
• organisational culture, professional culture and work-group culture; and peer pressure

• violation of regulations, procedures and processes, including:

• organisational failure: latent failure, error-provoking conditions and unsafe acts
• organisational learning
• maintenance error management program

• the National MEA Aeroskills Training Package, including relevant units of competency and qualification training pathways.

Assessment Conditions

• Competency should be assessed under supervision, without intervention in the work environment, and/or by use of approved simulated activities in a CASR Part 147 MTO, covering the full range of maintenance supervision, supervisor level human resource management and assistance with workplace training and competency assessment, as provided for in the Range of Conditions. This competency standard must be linked in its assessment and application to those that apply to the exercise of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence, or Aircraft Maintenance Technician privileges in the actual maintenance of aircraft.
• Evidence is required of underlying knowledge and skills in the supervision of maintenance activities, and in the associated compliance with airworthiness regulatory requirements. The ability must be demonstrated to apply supervisor level human resource management processes during supervision activities, deliver workplace training, and to record experience and evidence for competency assessment associated with completion of the Log of Industrial Experience and Achievement.
• The following conditions of assessment represent the requirements of CASA and must be rigorously observed.
• A person cannot be assessed as competent until it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the workplace assessor that the relevant elements and performance criteria of the unit of competency are being achieved under supervision, without intervention on a maintenance supervision task that includes application across the Range of Conditions of the following:

• using maintenance data or schedules
• identifying required resources
• providing guidance in maintenance activities
• allowing for human factors affecting job performance
• minimising the possibility of maintenance errors
• applying employment relations at supervisor level
• delivering on-job training.

• The Assessor must meet the criteria specified in the CASR Part 147 Manual of Standards.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ce216c9c-04d5-4b3b-9bcf-4e81d0950371